History between time

June 6, 2010:
Between our visits to Crested Butte, Jake had to go to Philadelphia for work.  He'd been there several times, and really enjoyed the city.  He asked me if I might like to come along this time, and bring Xander to see some of the sites.

Philadelphia is a city full of culture, art, great food, and most of all, history.  The city has done a lot in recent years to bring in more tourists, and they've improved their focus on the preserving sites and presenting the personal stories of important historical figures, most notably Ben Franklin, who made Phili their home and helped shape the system of government we all benefit from today.

Ben Franklin is everyone's hero in Phili, so of course Xander and I had to do a walking tour "In Franklin's Footsteps" where we got what was actually a private tour, since we were the only ones signed up! 

One of my favorite things was this sculpture of Ben Franklin, which was made from the donated keys and pennies of thousands of schoolchildren across the US! How cool!

Recognize these scenes from the movie "National Treasure?"

  

We also visited the Liberty Bell, the first depiction of an eagle as the national symbol, the room where the declaration of Independence was signed, the room where the first US Constitution was signed, and the room where the Bill of Rights was signed. The last one gave me genuine goosebumps and put a lump in my throat, just to think about it!

The new US Constitution Center had a spectacular multimedia display on the history of the US and the Bill of Rights from the founding days until today. They also had an extra exhibit on how Roman history influenced the founding fathers and our government, which was great, except for the part where Xander, having had quite enough of being carted around and restricted to his stroller, started yelling his fool head off. I couldn't plead, cajole or bribe my way out of it, and left bowed under the stern and disapproving glares of little old ladies who should have been more sympathetic. We didn't get any pictures.

I'd been to Phili before as a kid with my family, and remembered certain places, but it was great to really appreciate it as an adult.

I also appreciated having a little extra time with my husband, and being able to treat ourselves to a few nice dinners together!